Rod-mill



(No Model.)

W. SWINBANK. ROD MILL. No. 443,304. v Patented Dec. 23, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

XVILLIAM SVINBANK, OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS.

ROD-MILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,304, dated December 23, 1890.

Application filed April 23, 1890. Serial No. 349,123. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SWINBANK, a citizen of the United States, residing at J oliet, in the county of WVill and State of Illinois, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Rod-Mills, of which improvements the following is a specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in rolling-mills for the reduction of billets (about four inches square) to wire rods. \Vhile the continuous mill is in many respects well adapted for this purpose, it is, as at present constructed, open to many objections. It has heretofore been considered essential that each succeeding pair of rolls should be driven at a speed higher than that of the preceding rolls proportional to the reduction and consequent elongation effected by such preceding rolls, for the reason that no provision is made in these mills for the looping out of the rod. As the elongation of the billets in such mills is very rapid, it follows that the first pair of rolls are of necessity driven at a speed lower than that demanded by good practice, in order to avoid driving the last pair of rolls of the mill at an excessive and dangerous speed. It is a wellknown fact that the friction of the rolls, if driven at a comparatively high speed on the article passing between them, effects a considerable increase in the heat of such article; but in the use of acontinuous mill the speed of the first pair of rolls is so slow, for the reason stated, that the temperature of the billet is reduced rather than raised in passing between them. Hence it is customary to place a heating-furnace closely adjacent to and in line with the rolls, so as to heat and. maintain the billet in a heated condition while passing through the first rolls.

The object of the presentinvention is to so construct a mill as to incorporate therein the desirable characteristics of a continuous mill,

and at the same time obviate the objectionable features thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan of mill embodying my improvement, and Fig. 2 shows sectional views illustrating the shapes of the passesin the several rolls of the billettrain.

I11 the practice of my invention the billets or blooms, which are approximately four inches square and two feet long, more or less, are properly heated in one or the other of the furnaces A, located, as shown, in convenient proximity to the billet-train B.

While not an essential feature of this in- "entiomit is preferred to arrange a feed-table 1, provided with driven feed-rolls, in position relative to the furnaces and the billet-train B that the heated blooms can be easily transferred from the furnaces to the rolls 2 of the train B. These rolls 2, having formed therein a groove or pass constructed in accordance with rules Well known in the art and adapted, as shown in Fig. 2, to reduce the bloom to an oval in cross-section, are driven at a speed of about eighty revolutions per minute, more or less. On the delivery side of the rolls 2 I provide a series of two or more live or constantly-rotating feed-rollers 3, adapted to carry the billet along and deliver it into the bite of the reducing-rolls l, which are located at such a distance from the rolls 2 that the billet will have passed entirely from between the rolls 2 before being caught by the rolls 4. This relative arrangement of the rolls 2 and 4 renders the use of the feed-rolls desirable, so that the operation of the train may be automatic, the billet or bar under operation being kept constantly in motion; or the rolls 2 and 4 may be so arranged that the front end of the bloom or billet is caught by the rolls 4 at the same time that its rear end passes from between the rolls 2,in which case the forward impetus imparted by the rolls 2 will feed the bloom into the rolls 4 and the rollers 3 need not be driven. The second set or pair of rolls 4is provided with a groove or pass adapted to change the shape of the billet or bar from oval to square in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 2. As the billet or bar is entirely out of the first rolls 2 before it is caught by the second pair of rolls 4, the speed of the latter pair of rolls need not be increased, and preferably driven at about eighty revolutions (more or less) per minute. Live or constantlydriven feed-rollers 5 are arranged on the de-- livery side of the rolls 4, so as to carry the bar or billet forward to the next pair of rolls 6, which are arranged at a distance from the rolls 4 a little greater than the length of the billet or bar after reduction by the rolls 4.

The rolls 6 have a groove or pass adapted to reduce the bar or billet from a square to an oval or diamond shape in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 2, and are driven at about eighty revolutions (more or less) per minute, the elongations effected by the rolls i being compensated for by the distance between the rolls -.t and 6, as described. After passing through the rolls 2, 4, and 6 the billet or bar has been sufficiently reduced in cross-section as to have a considerable flexibility. Therefore the rolls 8 are so located that the distance between them and the preceding rolls (3 is approximately some six to twelve inches less than the length of the bar after passing through the rolls (5, and said rolls 8 are driven at approximately the same speed as the rolls (3. The billet or bar is guided from the rolls 6 to the rolls 8 by an open-top trough 7, no feed rollers being required, as the distance between said rolls is less than the length of the bar or billet, and the rolls will push the bar along until caught by the rolls 8. The rolls 0 and 8 being driven at the same speed, there will be a slight buckling of the bar after its front end has been caught by the rolls 8 and while its rear end is still in engagement with the rolls 6, due to the elongation affected by the rolls 6; but as the elongation which produces such buckling is only that resulting from the reduction of five or six inches (more or less) at the rear end of the bar as it passes through the rolls it will be readily understood that the elongation is comparatively small, and that therefore the buckling will be so slight as not to be in any way objectionable or detrimental to the operation of the train. The bar or billet is reduced to an oval in crosssection by the rolls 0, and in passing to the rolls 8, which have a groove or pass adapted to change the bar. to a square in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 2, it is necessarythat the bar he turned a quarter of a revolution before being entered between the rolls 8. A twistguide 9, such as are well known in the art, is arranged at a suitable point along the line, of the connecting guide trough T. The rolls 10, 12, and ll are each correspondingly located. with reference to the preceding rolls.tl;at is to say, the rolls 10 are arranged at a distance from the rolls 8 a little lcss say ten to sixteen inches, more or less-than the length which the bar or billet will have after reduction by the rolls 8, the rolls 12 at a dis tance from rolls 10 a little less than the length of the bar after its passage through the rolls 10, and the rolls ll at a distance from the rolls 12 'a little less-say two or three feet, more orless-than the length of the bar after passing through the rolls 12. The rolls 10 and .14: have grooves or passes adapted to reduce the, bar from a square to an oval in crossseetion, so that no twist-guides are needed along the line of the troughs 11 and 13, arranged between the rolls 8 and 10,12 and 14, while a twist-guide should be employed along the line of the trough 13, connecting the rolls l0 and 12, the latter rolls having a groove or pass adapted to the bar from an oval in cross-section, as effected by the rolls 10, to a square in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 2. The rolls 10, 12, and ll are driven at approximately the same speed as the preceding rollsl.'. e, eighty revolutions (more or less) per 1ninnteand hence the troughs ll, 13, and 17 are formed with open tops for at least a portion of their lengths to permitof the looping of the bar caused by the buckling, due to the fact that the ends of the bar are in engagement at the same time with two pairs of rolls rotating at approximately the same speed. As only a comparatively small portion of the rear end of the bar will be operated on by the rear rolls while the front end in engagement withthe next pair of rolls, it is only the elongation effected on such rear portion as will cause the buckling, andas such elongation is small compared withthe distance between adjacent pairs of rolls the looping out will be slight and in no way (letrimental to the operation of the train. If desired, the speed of the rolls 12 and 14; may be increased, that of the rolls 12 to ninety and of the rolls 1-1 to one hundred revolutions (more or less) per minute, and thereby C0111- pensate to a considerable extent for the elongation produced by the preceding rolls, and proportionately reduce the buckling and consequent looping out.

After passing through the rolls 14 the bar or red is conducted by a trough 19, provided with a twist-guide 21, the rolls ll being provided, as hereinbefore stated, with an oval groove or pass to the rolls 16 of the interme diate train of rolls (J. The rolls 16 are provided with a groove or pass adapted to red uce the bar or rod from an oval to a square in cross-section. As the bar einergesfroin the rolls 16 it is caught by a catcher and fed into the rolls 1S, and in a similar manner fed into the rolls of the same train. This train is preferably located at such a distance from the rolls 14 of the continuous or billet train 13 as to afford ample room for the looping out of the rod as it passes from the rolls ,18 to the rolls 20 of the intermediate train. The rolls of this intermediate train are preferably arranged with their axes in line, as shown in Fig. 1, and are driven at the same speed, which is preferably suflicientlygreater than that of the rolls 14 as to compensate forthe elongation of the rod in passing through the rolls 14; but such proportionate increase of speed is not necessary, as looping out of the bar or red between the rolls 1 1 and 16 can be permitted, as is provided for between the rolls 12 and 14-. The rolls l8 and 20 are provided, respective] y, with grooves adapted to reduce the bar to an oval and a square in cross-section, and as no twist-guide is required in passing from a square to an oval a repeater or guide trough may be employed for conducting the bar from the rolls 16 to the rolls 1%. From the rolls 20 of the intermediate train C the bar or rod is conducted by a trough 23 to the first pair of rolls 22 of the rod-train D, and as it emerges therefrom it is fed by a catcher to the rolls 24, and thence on in a similar manner to the rolls 2G and 28; but, if desired, a repeater may be employed for guiding the bar or rod from the rolls 24 to the rolls 26, the former having an oval and the latter a square pass or groove. The train D, having its rolls arranged with their axes in line, is located at such a distance from the train and in such relation thereto that the looping out of the rod will not interfere with operations around the train 0. The rolls of the train D are preferably driven at such a speed as to compensate for the elongation of the bar or rod in passing through the rolls but such relatively high speed is not essential, as the bar or rod can be permitted to loop out between the rolls 20 and 22, if desired. The rolls 22, 24, 26, and 28 are provided, respect ively, with oval and square grooves or passes alternately; but other shapes of grooves may be substituted therefor, as is well known in the art.

As the speed of the train D is necessarily somewhat limited-i. a, its speed can exceed the speed of the train 0 only by an amount necessary to compensate for the elongation of the bar or rod efiected by the rolls 20- and in order to prevent an excessive looping out on both sides of the train D, only a part of the rolls necessary for the complete reduction of the bar are included in the train D, the remaining rolls being arranged in another train D, driven independently of and at a higher speed than the train D. This train D is preferably arranged alittle to the rear and at one side of the train D, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the looping out of the rod in one train will not interfere with operations at the other train. The bar or red is guided from the rolls 28 of the train D to the rolls 30 of the train D by a curved conductor or repeater 25. The rolls 32 and 34 are provided, respectively, with oval square and oval grooves or passes; but the last rolls 30 of the train are provided with grooves or passes adapted to reduce the rod to a circular cross-section.

Catchers and feeders are employed for guiding the rod from one set or pair of rolls to the next, and a trough or pipe 27'- is employed to guide the rod from the rolls 36 to the reel or reels 29.

The rolls composing the billet or continu ous train and the feed-rollers 1, 3, and 5 are driven from a common power-shaft 3l,through the medium of suitable interposed gearing, and by properly proportioning the gearing driven by an independent engine, as shown,

and the trains D D are driven by suitable belts leading from pulleys on the power-shaft of said engine, the relative speed of the trains D D being adjusted by suitably proportioning the driving and driven pulleys.

It will be observed that by reason of the arrangement of the several pairs of rolls of the billet-train, as herein described, it is possible to drive the first pair of rolls of the billettrain at a high rate of speed Without materi ally increasing the speed of the last pair of rolls, and at the same time preserving the automatic action or operation characteristic of the continuous train.

I claim herein as my invention 1. In a rolling-mill plant for rolling Wire rods directly from blooms, a billet or continuous train consisting of a series of sets or pairs of rolls driven at approximately the same speed, the first two, three, or more sets or pairs of rolls being arranged at such a distance apart that the bloom or billet will be free of the bite of one pair of rolls simultaneously with or before engagement with the next succeeding pair of rolls, the remaining pairs of rolls being so arranged that the billet is fed by each pair into the next succeeding pair of rolls, in combination with an intermediate train and a rod'train, substantially as set forth.

2. In a rolling-mill plant for rolling Wire rods directly from blooms, a billet or continuous train consisting of a series of sets or pairs of rolls driven at approximately the same speed, the first two, three, or more sets or pairs of rolls being arranged at such a distance apart that the bloom or billet will be free of the bite of one pair of rolls simultaneously with or before engagement with the next succeeding pair of rolls, the remaining pairs of rolls being so arranged that the front end of the billet will be caught by one pair of rolls before its rear end has escaped from the preceding pair of rolls, in combination with driven feed-rollers arranged between the first two or three pairs of rolls, an intermediate train, and a rod-train, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

7 WILLIAM SWINBANK. itnesses:

S. J. DREW,

F. A. JACKSON.

IIO 

